Motor-control system



March 17. '1925.

B. O. AUSTIN MOTOR CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Nov. 5,

1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTCTZ gajcum 0 Awtfn WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY March 17. 1925. 1,529,761

I B. o. AUSTIN MOTOR CONTROL SYSTEM FiTed Nov. 5, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Emma/12 0. Awzm ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

WWW

Patented Mar. 17, 1925.

BASGUM 0; AUSTIN, or WILKINSBURG, PEN

HOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A o

VANIA.

MOTOR-CONTROL SYSTEM.

Nsi'LvAnIa-Assierivon 'To WESTING- OR'PORATION or PENNSYL- Application filed November 5, 1920. Serial No. 421,900.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BASGUM O. Ans iN,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of l/Vilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny 5 and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in MotorControl Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to motor-control systems, and it has particular relation to control systems employed for operating motors of electric cars and locomotives,

One object of my invention is to provide a relay device that is capable of'establishing a relatively large number of circuits although employing only a relatively few contact members. 7

Another object of my invention is to effeet the control of the operating of an aux- 0 iliary motor which operates a control device in accordancewith the load upon the main motors.

A third object of my invention is to pro vide a system otcontrol which will prevent 35 the opening of certain of the c'ontactors embodied therein before the opening of a line switch, thereby lessening the wear upon the contactors.

'Heretofore, contactors have been controlled by the master controller and, upon the master controller. being actuated to its oil position, many of the cont-actors have opened before the circuit breaker.

By employing a system of control arranged in accordance with my invention, the contactors, with the exception of the line switch or circuit breaker, may be made smaller and may be placed within the in terioi' of the car.

For abetter understanding of'my invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings Figure 1 or which is a view, partly in plan elevation and partly in section, of a relay device embodying my invention.

Fig.2 is aview, in end elevation, of the relay device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view, in perspective, of one part of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Figs. at and 5 are views, iii plan and side Fig. 8 is a order in which sequence chart, showing the the main contactors close in the control system shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 1s a schematic view of a portion of the control system shown in Fig. 6.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, a relay device 1 comprises a base member 2 of suitable insulating material,

ample, as slate,

netizable member 3,

such, for en'- on which is mounted a man; an armature 4, and a pluralityof contactors 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.

The magnetizable member 3 comprises an irregular shaped core member 11, on which a solenoid 12 is mounted by means of a threaded cylindrical member 13. The solenoid 12 comprises a winding which is electrically connec The armature member 1 is pivotally ted to terminals lat and 15.

mountedupon the end of an arm 16 of substantially L-sliape position by me silient member and to the casting which is biased to its open ans of a-spring, or other-re 17, which is attached thereto The arm 16 is adapted to connect the contact terminal 5 to the contact terminal 8 upon the ai'ina closed position,

true 4 being actuated to its and to connect the contact terminal 5 to the contact terminal 9 upon the armature 1 assuming The contact terminal 6 nected to the contact terminal 7,

its open position. is electrically conwhen the armature 4 is in its closed position, this connection compri 18, bolts, 19, a

sing an electrical conductor plate member 21, stationary contact member 22 of contact terminal 7.

The bolts 19 16 by tubes of are insulated from the arm suitable insulating material and a flat insulating member 24.. The

arm 16 is provided with two contact members 25 and 26 which are electrically c0iinected to the arm 16.

Referring to casting 11 is pr Fig. 3, the irregular-shaped ovide'd at one end with a slot V inclusive.

' circuit 27 in which the arm 16 is relatively free to move, and with holes 28 through which a pin 29 extends to position the arm 16. 7

Referring particularly to Figs. 4 and 5, the armature 4 is secured to the arm 16 by means of rivets 31. A brass plate 32, forming part of the armature 4, prevents the armature from adhering to the magnetizable member 33 after it has been de-energized.

Referring to the control system shown in Figs. 6 and 7, motors 41 and 42 are energized from a trolley 43 through a circuit comprising a master controller 44 and a line switch or circuit breaker 45.

A control device 46 is actuated by an auxiliary mot-or 47. contactors 48, 49 and 50 are provided for shunting a starting resistor 51, thereby accelerating motors 41 and 42. Co-ntactors 52, 53 and. 54 are provided for changing the motors 41 and 42 from series to parallel connection.

The master switch 44 comprises a plurality of movable contact segments and a plurality of stationary'contact terminals 55 to 69, The control device 46 comprises a plurality of movablecontact segments and a plurality of stationary contact terminals 68 to 79, inclusive. A resistor 81, by means of which the accelerating contactors 48, 49 and 50 and the series-parallel contactors 52, 53 and 54 are energized, is electrically connected between the trolley 43 and ground by means of the circuit breaker 45.

The operation of the motor control system is begun by effecting the engagement of the reversing contact segments of the master controller 44 with the contact terminals to 69, inclusive, to effect forward operation of the motors 41 and 42. A manually operable switch 82 is closed and the master controller 44 is actuated to position a, thereby establishing a circuit through the trolley pole 84, conductors 85 and 86, two-circuit snap switch 87, conductor 88, contact terminal 68 and 69, contact segment 83, conductor 89, resistor 90, conductor 91, contact member of the overload relay 92, the actuating coil of the circuit breaker 45 and conductors 93 and 94 to ground.

\Vhen the circuit breaker 45 is closed, a is established from the trolley through the pole 84, conductor 85, knifehlade switch 82, conductor 95, actuating coil of overload relay 92, contact member of circuit breaker 45, conductor 96, contact member of contactor 53, conductor 97, contact terminals 61 and 62 of master controller 44, contact segment 98, conductor 99, series field magnet winding 100, conductor 101, contact terminals 60 and 63, contact segment 102, conductor 103, armature 104 of motor 4]., conductor 105, starting resistor 51, armature 106 of motor 42, conductor 107, contact terminal and 66, contact segment 108,

conductor 109, series field magnet winding 110 of motor 42, conductor 111, contact terminals 64 and 67, contact segment 112, and conductors 113 and 94 to ground.

The motors 41 and 42 begin to operate at a relatively low speed, as they are connected in series and all of the starting resistor is in circuit with them. The next steps are the gradual shunting of the starting resistor 51 by means of the accelerating contactors 50, 48 and 49 in the order named.

The actuating coils of the contactors 50, 48 and 49 are energized by circuits comprising the control resistor 81. As soon as the line switch 45 is closed, a circuit is estab- 7 lished through the control resistor 81 to ground, by an auxiliary circuit beginning at conductor 96, which is at the ground side of the line switch 45, through conductor 114, two-circuit snap switch 87, conductor 115, auxiliary contact member 116 of circuit breaker 45, conductor 117, control resistor 81, and conductors 118, 113 and 94 to ground.

This circuit can only be de-energized by opening the line switch 45 and all contactors that are energized therefrom will not open when the master controller 44 is actuated to its off position until after the line switch 45 is opened. This is the means for effecting one of the objects of my invention, for, by opening the line switch or circuit breaker 45 before opening the contactors 48, 49, 50, 52, 53 and 54, arcs occur only at the circuit breaker.

Another circuit, which is also established after the line switch 45 is closed, extends from conductor 117 through conductor 119, resistor 120, solenoid 12 of the relay 1, conductor 121, contact terminals 74 and 73 of drum controller 46, and conductor 122 to a point on control resistor 81.

lVhen the arm 16 of the relay 1 assumes its closed position, a holding circuit for the relay 1 is established from conductor 117 through resistor 120, solenoid 12, contact terminals '7 and 6, conductor 124 and 122 to a point on the control resistor 81.

hen the master controller 44 is actuated to its position b, a circuit is established from control resistor 81 through conductor 125, contact terminals 57 and 56, conductor 126, contact terminals 71 and of drum con troller 46, conductor 127, contact terminals 8 and 5 of the relay 1, conductor 128, contact terminals 58 and 59, conductor 129, armature 131 of motor 47, resistor 132, field magnet winding 133 to ground.

A second circuit is established through field magnet winding 133v of the auxiliary motor 47 from conductor 107, which is between the armature 106 and the field magnet winding 110 of the motor 42 through conductor 134, resistor 132, and field magnet winding 133 to ground.

For a better understanding of the operation of the auxiliary motor 47 reference i'nay be madeto Fig; 9. Themotor l2-has an nee-ted bet'ween'the' trolley 4E3-and ground.

When there is a light "load upon the motor 12, there is only a small drop in potential through the series field-mag'net- Winding 110 thereof and, as one terminalof the field-- magnet Winding 110 is connected directly to ground, there is but-slight difference in potential between conductor 13a and ground.

The auxiliary motor 17 being energized by the diiierence in potential between a point on the control resistor 81, Where the conduc-tor 125 is attachedthereto, and ground, the voltage across! the armature 1 31 and the field-nia*-g-net winding 133 -'ot"the' a uxiliary motor 47 Will remain substantiallyconstant, unless varied because of achange in the difference of potential between the'conducto'r 134 and ground as hereinafterset forth.

When there is a heavy load on-the motor 42, there is a greater drop inpotentia lacross the field magnet Winding 110 thereof, and, consequently, there will be a greater difference in potential'between conductor 13% and ground. This increased potential in creasesthe ener'gizationof the field-magnet Winding 133 of the auxiliary motor '47, thereby reducing its speed.

The voltage across the armature 1 31"of the auxiliary motor 47 is also changedbut inversely to that ofthe field magnet iiinding 133, for as the Voltage oft-he conductor l3tinc'reases in potential thediiierence in Voltage between it and the conductor 129 decreases, thereby furtherdecreasing the speed of the'auxiliary motor 17,

It is apparent, from the above description, that the effect of connecting some poi'ntbetween the armature'131 and the field-magnet winding 133 of the motor 4.7'to' a point between the armature 106 of the motor 42 and the field-magnetwindingllO is to vary both the valueof the current through *the armature 131 and the voltage across-the field-magnet Winding 133 of the motor 47.

If the motors are operating under a heavy load, the motor 47 will operate very slowly to move the drum controller 46, thereby shunting the resistor 51' gradually from the circuit comprisingthe motors 41 *and42.

The operation of the auxiliary controller e6 causes accelerating contactors 50 to close first, as the contact terminal 7 5 is connected to terminal 74 of the drum controller 46 by means of the irregular-shaped contact segment et6a.

Contact terminal 77 being next engaged by the contact segment, contactor 48 is closed, shunting a second portion of the starting resistor 51. The contact terminal 76- being engaged by the cont-act segment 46a; iv'hen the auxiliary motor 47' has actuated the 'd-ium 4:6 to position (Z, l the actuating coil of the acceleratifi'ig "contactor 19 is closed, "thereby" completely shunting the starting resistor 51. The motors aren'ow operating in series without any portion of the resistor 51 being in circuit with them.

Unless the master controller dais-actuated to its position 0, this connection Will'continue, for the circuit comprising the contact terminal and His broken, when drum controller this in positions 6! a-nd 0. hen the master controller 44 is brought tofull running position 0, contactterminal 55 is electrically connected to'the positively energized contactor 57. A circuit is established from contact terminal 57 through contact terminal 55 of themaster controller as, conductor 136, contact terminal 72 and 70 "so long as drum controller 47 is inposition (Z and e, conductor 127, contact terminals 8 and 5" of therelay'l, conductor 128, contact terminals 58' and 590i master controller 44, conductor 129, armature 131 of the auxiliary motor 47, resistor 132, and fieldsna-gnet windingl3'3 of the motor 17.

The pilot or auxiliary motor a7, being energized, continues to operate the drum controller 46 from position dto position g].

When the'al'uxiliary controller 46 is in position 6 contact terminals'75'and 77 are disconnected from the terminal 74', there-bydeenergizing the actuating coils of the accelerating contactors4i8 and 50, respectively, permitting them to" open.

The accelerating contactor 19' will remain closed as the contact terminal 76is electrically connectedivith the conductor 74: throughout there niainder of the drum controller's travel.

The actuating coil of the contactor is energized when the contact terminals 7t and 78 are-electrically"connected by the contact segment of the controller 46, when it is brought to aposi't ion' slightly inadvance of position 6. lVhen contactor 5% is closed. a circuit 'conipri'sing'the actuating coil of the contactor 53'is broken, as the circuit com prises-the"auxiliary contact member 137 of contactor 54, 'However, a second circuit through the contact segment 138 of the drum controller 46 is established which momentarily bridges the contact terminals 68 and 69, thereby energizingthe-actuating coil of the contactor 53 until contactor is closed.

lVhen. thedrum controller-"4L6 occupies position-e, the-actuatingcoil of the contactor 53 is de-energized and the contactor 53 opens. Contactor 52 assumes its closed position when the drum controller 16 is in position 6, by the contact terminals 7% and 79 being electrically connected, thereby estab lishing a circuit from contact terminal 74 to contact terminal 79, conductor 138, auxiliary contact member 139 of contactor 53, actuating coil of contactor 52, conductor 139, and auxiliary contactor 141 of the accelerating contactor 49 to ground. 7

When the contact terminals 74 and 77 are electrically connected by the auxiliary controller 46 being actuated to position 7, the actuating coil of the contactor 48 is closed, thereby shunting a portion of the starting resistor 59. V r

The contactor w50 closes, when the contact terminal 7 5 is electrically connected with the contact terminal 74, upon the drum controller 46 being brought to position ,9.

The motors 4L1 and 42 being connected in parallel and the starting resistor 51 being shunted, the motors are now operating at full speed. 1

While I have shown my invention in its preferred form it is is apparent that minor modifications may be made in arrangement of circuits and apparatus without departing from the spirit thereof. I desire, therefore, to be limited only to the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a motor control system, the combination with a motor and a source of electrical energy, of means for connecting said motor to said source, a plurality of contactors for controlling the operation of said motor, a master controller for controlling said contactors, and means for preventing the: opening of said contactors that are closed upon said master controller being actuated to its inoperative position before disconnecting said motor from said source.

2. In a control system, the combination with a dynamo-electric machine, and a source of energy, of a circuit breaker for connecting said machine to said source, a master controller, a control resistor, said resistor being energized upon said circuit breaker being closed and remaining energized independent of the position of said master controller so long as said circuit breaker is closed, a plurality of contactors having actuating coils, and means for connecting said coils to said resistor.

Y 3. In a motor control system, the combination with a source of energy, dynamo-electric machine and a master controller, of a line switch operated by said master controller for connecting said machine to said source, a resistor connected to said supply source by said line switch, a plurality of contactors for operating said motor, an auxiliary controller for operating said contactors, an auxiliary motor for operating said auxiliary controller, the operation of said motor being controlled by said master controller, said auxiliary controller connecting said contactors to said resistor.

4. In a motor control system, the comif tactors to said auxiliary controller that said contactors remain closed upon said master controller being actuated to its inoperative position until after said circuit breaker opens. V

5. The combination with a main motor anda plurality of contactors having actuating coils for operating said main'motor, of a master controller, a circuit breaker controlled by said master controller for energizing said main motor, an auxiliary controller for controlling said contactors, means independent of said master controller, for maintaining the actuating coils of said contactors energized until said circuit breaker is opened, an auxiliary motor having an armature and a field-magnet winding for operating said auxiliary controller, the operation of said auxiliary controller being dependent upon the position of said master controller and the load upon said. main motor.

6. The combination with a main motor having an armature and a field-magnet winding and a plurality of contactors having actuating coils for operating said main motor, of a master controller, a circuit breaker controlled by said master controller for energizing said main motor, a drum controller for controlling said contactors, a resistor, said resistor being energized so long as said circuit breaker is in its closed posi- BAS CUM O. AUSTIN. 

